To our members:
In the last year, AAR has added significant programming, such as a new online June conference, multiple webinAARs each month, and other member benefits, such as mentoring cohorts, new guidelines for public scholarship, and expanded coverage in Reading Religion. Additionally, we launched a new website with additional resources and possibilities for outreach and advocacy.
We have been able to do all this, firstly, because hundreds of volunteer members contribute through service on committees, by creating content for RSN, or through participation in governance and leadership roles. A big thank you to all who have contributed in large and small ways! Secondly, we are fortunate to have a small but hardworking staff in charge of membership records, financial systems, website and communications, and programming and publications.
While our operations are quite lean, the costs of maintaining the organizational infrastructure, putting on conferences and other programming, and providing other member benefits have steadily increased. As a result, AAR’s overall expenses have continued to increase while our revenue has decreased due to reduced membership. As you may know, AAR’s revenue is almost exclusively based on membership dues and conference registrations. While we receive a few donations, we do not have a large endowment, extensive reserves, or outside sources of revenue to draw on.
To offset some of the significant and growing financial deficit, effective July 1, 2025, the AAR Board of Directors has approved increasing some membership dues rates, and additional higher-income brackets have been established.
Our goal has been to create a fairer breakdown of dues rates based on different income levels. We have modeled our new dues structures on those of other associations, with the goal of allocating the burden of dues increases fairly. As a result, dues for some salary brackets are not increasing, while others are $10 or $20 higher. The biggest change is the addition of two more higher-income brackets and significant increases for those with annual salaries above $120,000. We hope that our colleagues in the higher salary ranges understand that we need to ask everyone to contribute according to their ability; our new dues structure is aligned with similar learned societies and, we think, is fair.
We will continue to use the honors system, wherein members determine their appropriate dues category. Collectively, we can move closer to securing the existence and ensuring the well-being of our learned society.
Please know that we did not make this decision lightly. We are aware that many of our members are facing difficult times. The board approved the increase in light of the AAR’s overall financial situation and the urgent need to increase our overall revenue in order to maintain AAR as an important source for professional connections, effective proponent for excellence in the academic study of religion, indispensable advocate for our disciplines and colleagues, and as go-to resource for furthering the public understanding of religion.
As always, we are happy to accept additional donations if you are able. Donations support operations, grants and awards, and support other members. For example, AAR offers one-year membership grants to lapsed members (students, independent scholars, or contingent faculty) experiencing sudden difficulties, to ensure ongoing access to member benefits.
As a member organization, the core of AAR is all of us. Together, we are invested in critical research, teaching and learning, and public engagement of religion. The goal of our learned society is to create community – where we can support each other with our many talents, skills, abilities, and diverse resources.
Thank you for being a member and for your many contributions to our common project.
Claudia Schippert
AAR Executive Director